A computer failure at the FAA is impacting flights nationwide, causing a temporary nationwide ground stop.
The affected system, responsible for sending out flight hazards and real time restrictions to pilots, is known as NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions).
As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is reporting 249 flight issues, including 209 delays and 40 cancelations. Check your flight status here.
An update was issued by the FAA shortly after their initial announcement saying that they are working to fix the problem.
"The FAA has ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Eastern Time to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information," the FAA said.
LIVE UPDATES: FAA computer issue impacting flights at Sky Harbor, across the country
That ground stop was lifted shortly before 7 a.m. Arizona time.
Update 5: Normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the U.S. following an overnight outage to the Notice to Air Missions system that provides safety info to flight crews. The ground stop has been lifted.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023
We continue to look into the cause of the initial problem
American Airlines also made a statement following the computer failure.
"The Federal Aviation Administration is experiencing an outage with its NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system, which provides critical flight safety operation information," said American Airlines. "We are closely monitoring the situation, which impacts all airlines, and working with the FAA to minimize disruption to our operation and customers. We encourage customers to check aa.com for the latest flight information."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is experiencing a nationwide system outage that affects all airlines. We're closely monitoring the situation and working with the FAA to minimize customer disruptions.
— americanair (@AmericanAir) January 11, 2023
United Airlines corroborated the current technical problems with a statement of its own.
"The FAA system that sends out important real-time flight hazards & restrictions to all commercial airline pilots - Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) - is currently suffering a nationwide outage. United has temporarily delayed all domestic flights and will issue an update when we learn more from the FAA," said United Airlines.
— United Airlines (@united) January 11, 2023
Southwest Airlines also confirmed that they are suffering through delays due to the technical issues occurring at the FAA.
"We are closely monitoring a data issue with FAA systems which may impact the start of operations today on Jan 11, 2023," Southwest Airlines said in their statement released early Wednesday morning. "Please check your flight status in the Southwest app or website to watch for any flight status changes. If your flight status changes substantially we will message the day of travel contact listed on your reservation by their preferred contact method."
We're closely monitoring a data issue with the FAA that may impact the start of operations today Jan 11, 2023. Please check your flight status in the Southwest app or on https://t.co/qJUDbsC3g0 for any flight status changes.
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) January 11, 2023
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
